Photo Credit/Cover Design: Lorne White/KelownaNow
Widely recognized as the top stopper in Okanagan Valley high school soccer, goalkeeper Eric Dueck unveiled the offensive element of his game this week as the Rutland Voodoos defended their senior AAA title.
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Not only did the Grade 12 Rutland Secondary School student share a pair 2-1 netminding victories — in the Voodoos’ semifinal over the Okanagan Mission Huskies on Monday and in the championship match against the favoured Mt. Boucherie Bears (4-4-1) on Wednesday — but he also contributed to the winning goals.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowEric Dueck of the Rutland Voodoos dives to make a save while teammate Dylan Robles arrives for support in the first half of their Okanagan Valley final against the Mt. Boucherie Bears at Const. Neil Bruce Sports Fields on Wednesday.Playing goal in the first half against the third-place Huskies in semifinal play on home field, Dueck’s outstanding play was the main reason the second-place Voodoos were able to stay close to the visitors, who claimed the territorial edge in the opening 45 minutes of a 1-0 OKM lead.
Rutland coaches Jeff Balkenhol, Jen Starling, and Antonio Duplessis, looking for some much-needed offence, decided to snatch Dueck out from between the posts to play as a striker in the second half while Skyler Petty replaced him in the net.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowZack MacInnes of the Voodoos and Josh Clancy of the Bears get tangled up at midfield. MacInnes scored the lone goal for Rutland in regulation time while Clancy scored for the Bears in the shootout.His goal off a corner kick by Carson Martin tied the score with about 15 minutes remaining in the game while Dueck returned the favour by feeding Martin on a give-and-go for the deciding marker in the dying minutes in the match.
In Wednesday’s championship game, Dueck came through again with a stellar performance in net against the tenacious Bears, holding the regular-season champs to a goal by Boucherie’s Justin Matte late in the first half. Along with Zack MacInnes’ opening goal of the match, Dueck’s difficult saves against the highest-scoring team in the league were the principal reason for sending the game into what turned out to be two scoreless overtime periods.
Photo Credit: ContributedThe Rutland Voodoos claimed their second straight Okanagan Valley senior AAA soccer title and third in four years with a 2-1 shootout victory in title match over the Mt. Boucherie Bears on Wednesday. Members of the team are, from left, front: Antonio Duplessis (coach), Connor Schneider, Zack MacInnes, Eric Dueck, Wesley Turcot, Zak Howell, Andres Velez, Victor Brocal and Carson Martin. Back: Jeff Balkenhol (coach), Eric Harrison, James Harris, Kai Hagen, Keegan Wight, Eric Dekergommeaux, Ethan DeKruif, Bernardo Rosenthal, Kaden Peters, Adam Moutti, Dylan Robles, Skyler Petty, Jayden Boparai and Jen Starling (coach).With darkness approaching the two teams went to a five-man shootout, but while Andrew Mihas and Matte of the Bears beat him from the spot, Dueck stopped the three other Bears. When only Kai Hagan and Ethan DeKruif of the Voodoos could put the ball by Boucherie goaltender Jordan Thorsen, extra shooters were called upon.
Josh Clancy of Boucherie scored first on Dueck while Bernardo Rosenthal replied for the Voodoos who had defeated the Bears 1-0 and tied them 1-1 in the regular season.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowThe Bears' Nemanja Vracarevic heads the ball to a teammate in front of Voodoos' Adam Moutti.After stopping the Bears’ seventh shooter, Dueck obliged his coaches again. His shootout kick caught Thorsen leaning the wrong way — to send his team to the B.C. School Sports provincial championship tournament for the third time in four years.
The 16-team tournament is being played in Burnaby Nov. 21-23.
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Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowEric Dueck of the Rutland Voodoos makes another save off Boucherie's Andrew Mihas.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowBoucherie's Konstantin Pfeiffel, left, and Rutland's Jayden Boparai on a 50/50 ball.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowEthan DeKruif, left, and Wesley Turcot team up to defend for the Voodoos.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowJayden Boparai tries to find room between a pair of Bears.
Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowZack MacInnes celebrates the game's first goal with Rutland teammates Carson Martin, Bernardo Rosenthal and Dylan Robles.
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